Universal Peace Enforcement Organization
Overview The Universal Peace Enforcement Organization pronounced you-pee-you is an interplanetary peacekeeping and military organization whose main purpose is designated to maintain peace, order and friendship between all member nations as well as possessing jurisdiction of international laws. Its purpose is that it would intervene in various conflicts and facilitate peace cooperation between member states. Additionally UPEO possesses military jurisdiction that supersedes all other authorities that any member state has. Currently there are ten member states who have joined the UPEO with six additional colonies spread across the Milky Way galaxy that are governed by the Colonial Administration Authority. UPEO and its' member states are located on the planet Oberon within the Laptev solar system. The Laptev sol system is located at the Scutum-Centaurus arm of the Milkyway Galaxy and is approximately 60,000 light years away from Earth. UPEO also has land on Earth located at Greenland and the large vast of land north of the United States of America. UPEO's capital district is located on the planet Laptev, with September City serving as its capital city. Laptev is also considered to be the de-facto capital world of the Laptev solar system. UPEO was formed in 1885 when the ten multinational unions of the planet Oberon finally unified under one banner. This unification was seen as necessary of the people of Oberon was ever to expand its horizons. Thus on December 1st, 1850 BNE the UPEO was born. This unification eventually led to UPEO's first contact with extra-terrestrial races on the planet Laptev in the Laptev solar system. Through this first contact UPEO became a member of the Laptev Axis which sought to preserve the Laptev solar system against aggressors both foreign and domestic. UPEO is a member of the Laptev Axis Faction, the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), United Nations, Jedi Order alliance, Holy Empires Coalition, Asian Alliance, Coalition of Sovereign Nations and many other international organization. UPEO is a recognized superpower and hyperpower amongst nations in the known Milky Way galaxy. The military arm of the UPEO is known as the United Nations Space Command (UNSC). Furthermore an elite repsonse force, indipendent from the UNSC has also been created known as the Special Armed Response Force (SARF). Geography & Ecology Oberon, the main plane where UPEO originated has a wide variety of environment that are unique. Oberon has 6 super continents. On the western super continent called Muhr, lies lush rainforests. The Muhr is also the former territories of the Muhr Union. Nearly 65% of Muhr is comprised of rain forests due to the fact that mots of the continent lies on the equator line, allowing lush vegitation to grow due to the abundant supply of sun light. The location also allows the weather to support complex forms of vegitation, and in turn the western continent holds the highest level of biodiversity on Laptev which comprises of 45% of Laptev's known plant and animal species. The prestine condition of the ecosystem of the western continent has led the local governments to preserve the environment. Other continents however ar e not so fortunate in possessing prestine ecosystems, an example of this would be central continent known as Calderis- the dessert land. Calderis is located smack in the middle of the equator. Calderis has no water available on the surface of the planet as they all dry up too quickly. The only life forms that are found there are cactus plants, and some small grazing organisms. On the northern lands of Calderis lies some vegitation. There are no large organisms as the biomes available on Calderis simply cannot support large organisms. Humans are only found at certain settlements scattered across the continent, the space port and at the regional capital. The population at Calderis only numbers at about approximately twenty million citizens. There is also a continent that has sunk beneath the ocean. The land of this continent was engulfed by massive floods that took place when 20% of Oberon's ice caps melted due to run-away Global Warming. All life on the surface of the continent drowned beneath the waves as most of the continent was located below sea level. Civilians that live here live on stilt cities which were essentially large cities supported by platforms standing at least 200 meters above the powerful ocean waves. These cities have to be tall as the waves can be as high as 120 meters. The only forms of life found on this part of the world are organisms that can survive in the ocean. Most of them are giant squids, fishes and whales, there are however unconfirmed reports of a large unknown creature that stalks the oceans of the world. The sunken continent is known as Tipoca. UPEOs' territory on Earth primarily consists of a large vast land located just north of the United States of America and a large island just off the coast of Icela nd, the lands were previously known as Canada and Greenland before UPEO were given authority over the territories. There is no large presence of UPEO settlements at the Earth territories although a regional capital has been established at one of the cities at the large island known as Nuuk and another major city at Montreal and Calgary. In space there are always dangers which mostly comes from asteroids and the very rare black holes. There have been incidents where asteroids collieded with the worlds that UPEO governs and human fatalaties are very common when such incidents occur. The latest and the most devastating took palce at the 01st of June 1904 which resulted in 320,410 human fatalaties as the asteroid impacted on a major urban center. There is presently no available technology to avert such incidents from occuring, the only measures that can be taken is detection and giving an early warning to the populace. History Origins The origins of human civilization on Oberon had never been clear, but one very popular theory is that by sometime in the year 10,000 BNE, humans were brought to Oberon by an advanced race of extraterestrials. Therefore it is very likely that humans of Oberon were descendants of the humans of Earth. The presence of other humans on the neighboring planet and system capital- Laptev also supports this theory as there were no fossil records of ancient humans that had ever been discovered on either worlds. Early civilizations In 7,000 BNE the technology level of humans on Oberon was equivalent to that of 15th century Earth. Civilizations rose and fell throughout this period of time. The most dominant civilizations of this period of time were the countries on Tangera. On the other hand, countries on the Anean continents and the continent of Calderis progressed more slowly. The northern super continent of Pangara was also colonized around this time by the civilizations of North Anea. The 100 Countries In 3001 BNE, the first modern national governments had been established across Oberon. At this time, there were approximately 4 governments spread across Oberon. Their level of technology is comparable to that of humans of Earth during the early years of the 20th century. By 2982 BNE, there were 100 national governments that had been established. The rising number of countries meant that tensions rose between countries. The 'Great Leap Forward' In 2814 BNE, numerous technological advancements were achieved across Oberon which brought the technology levels of the governments of Oberon comparable to 21st century Earth. The discovery of coal and oil as a means of creating energy played a vital role in the rapid development of technology. Advancements during the GLF includes advancements in the field of energy, medical technology, transportation, information technology and consequently military technology. Unfortunately the GLF also created a by-product; the environmental degradation of Oberon. Due to the sudden explosion of technology, many people became ignorant of the impact that their advancements had on the environment. The consequences of this environmental degradation would be marked by another event later on in the history of UPEO. The Great War See main article: The Great War In 2240 BNE, a massive global conflict errupted known as the 'Great War' erupted between the countries of UPEO. There were two factions in the conflict, the Independent States Allied Forces and the Kosoviks. The Kosoviks were comprised of countries primarily from Tangera whilst the Allies were comprised of countries of Calderis and the Anean continents. At this period of time, the environmental degredation of Tangera were so severe that it drove the governments of this continent to attempt to expand to the west by military means. The former governments were toppled in military coup d'tats and the civilian population was rallied by the military from desperation to find new resources. The ISAF attempted to appease the Kosoviks, giving them humanitarian and economic aid. However these appeasements would not suffice. While the Kosoviks were became increasingly more pressured from their environmental degredation, the ISAF were starting to become more worried as the Kosoviks were building up their militaries rapidly. The climax of this conflict took place in 2169 BNE when both factions decimated each other in a massive nuclear strike that claimed 2 billion souls (40% of Oberons population at the time). Records indicate that more than 100 'V1' and Mk.1 Tactical Nuclear Warheads were launched. The massive nuclear exchange lasted for only 10 minutes. The Flood By 2194 BNE, the damage to the northern ice cap was so severe that by early January a quarter of the ice cap had melted away. As a result nearly 40% of the northern super continent was engulfed by the sea. Statistics vary but estimates show that 940,000 people were killed in massive super floods and 11,000,000 people were displaced as their homes were lost. The governments of the northern super continent began a project of constructing 'stilt-cities' in order to ensure that their people survives the upcoming events. Construction of the first stilt city began on February and was completed on April. Three more stilt-cities followed by July. The speedy construction was thanks to the advancements in architecture and construction technologies that were unlocked during the 'Great Leap Forward'. The only reason why the governments of the northern super continent was capable of doing this, was because they by some incredible feat were able to remain neutral throughout the 'Great War'. By September, 70% of the northern super continent's population had evacuated to the stilt cities. Those who failed or refused to evacuate fled to the small high grounds that existed on the northern super continent or fled to neighboring super continents. By November, 90% of the northern super continent was now beneath the waves. The melting of the polar ice cap also caused sea levels to rise by 10m world wide. As a result more than 120,000,000 people were displaced. This caused severe consequences and put even more pressure on Oberon's environment. It became clear that unless humans spread from Oberon, they would be doomed. Military operations of the Great War (which was officially still ongoing) were ceased and both the Allies and Kosoviks vowed to throw down their weapons as a start to end further hostilities. On the 30th of December 2142 BNE, the Great War officially ended at the signing of a peace treaty at the ruins of the capital city of the Kosoviks. Unification process On 0000 hours of the 1st of January 2141 BNE, the governments of Oberon began a unification campaign that was aimed to unite the whole of Oberon under a single banner. This process will take time. The 100 governments of Oberon ceased to exist. In its place, 10 multi-national unions emerged. Over the course of the next century, these 10 multi-national governments would work together in an attempt to finally unite Oberon under one flag. Birth of the UPEO Finally on December 31st, 1850 BNE, the 10 multi-national governments finally reached a consensus. An entity will be created to represent all governments of Oberon. This entity shall have powers that will allow it to govern all member states that join it. Thus on that day the Universal Peace Enforcement Organization was born. Already possessing a competent fleet of space vessels capable of inter-planetary travel, the UPEO's first objective was to colonize the two moons of Oberon known as Luna and Goodyear. First Contact At this time, a reconisense probe developed by UPEO was sent to the planet Laptev. Its objective; to determine whether the planet is capable of supporting carbon based life forms. The results were shocking. Not only does the planet support life but there are thriving civilizations, human civilizations on the planet as well. A diplomatic team was sent to the planet in efforts of establishing talks between UPEO and the governments of Laptev. The results was the admitance of UPEO into the Laptev Axis faction. Galactic Unrest During this period of time, the Milky Way was engulfed in 4 inter-planetary wars. Kuntree - Galactic Alliance War: August 12NE The first war was initiated by the Federation of Greater Kuntree where said nation illegally initiated a coup d'tat of the 'Non-Aligned International' faction and used the faction to wage war against the Jade Empire of Ingen who is a member of the Laptev Axis and ally of UPEO. In response, the Laptev Axis and the newly formed 'Galactic Alliance' launched a pre-emptive strike against Kuntree before they could mobilize their forces. The result of the short conflict was a strategic and tactical victory for the Laptev Axis and Galactic Alliance and the complete annihalation of Kuntree. Trekyslvania Incident: September 12NE The second inter-planetary began when the Holy Empire of Trekyslvania began a series of insults against the Laptev Axis. At first the Axis was reluctant to take action against Trekyslvania but as their insults became worse, a warning was given. In response to this Trekyslvania declared war against the Laptev Axis. Unfortunately for Trekyslvania the Laptev Axis responded in kind. A pre-emptive stirke was sufficient to silence Trekyslvania and their territories were glassed from orbit. Second Trekyslvania Incident: October 12NE Unfortunately not all remnants of the old Trekyslvania was destroyed, some government officials escaped the glassing of Trekyslvania. A new country was created in their place known as the 'Galactic Empire of Holy Trek' which is essentially a ressurection of Trekyslvania. Holy Trek began the conflict by claiming that the Carribbean territories of old Trekyslvania belonged to Holy Trek. The fact was that not all territories of Trekyslvania was glassed. The Carribbean territories were preserved as Yee & Gotham occupied the island and it was recognized by the Galactic Alliance and the Laptev Axis that the Carribbean islands rightfully belonged to Yee & Gotham based on 'successful occupation'. Holy Trek's claims were only supported by New Texahoma, Vulcan, and the IF. On the other hand, the legitimacy of Yee & Gotham's claim on the Caribbean islands was recognized by a majority of the international community. Despite of this, Holy Trek then sent military forces and illegally occupied and annexed Yee & Gotham's Carribbean territories. Furthermore Holy Trek threatened that it would use nuclear weapons (which were primitive by Axis standards) against the planet Laptev should aid their ally- Yee & Gotham. In response to this attempt to genocide, the Galactic Alliance along with the Laptev Axis declared war against Holy Trek and New Texahoma. The war was swift, and within the next 3 days the occupation forces of Holy Trek and its allies had been routed from the Carribean Islands. The outcome of the war was nothing more than a treaty of mutual agreement between both the G.A. and Holy Trek and her allies that guarantees the sovereignty of the Carribean Islands. Downfall of the Great Allied Nations (GAN): January 13NE The beginning of 13NE was marked by a tragic event. The country of Murphyland took control of the GAN faction. The response from the international community was of course at first protests. However after failing to heed to the demands of the international community, a multi-national task force was sent to Murphyland to free GAN. The Laptev Axis also participated in this task force. Within several weeks, GAN was freed of Murphyland and control of the GAN returned to its rightful leaders. Murphyland on the other hand was glassed from orbit by the UPEO. Government and Politics Government The UPEO is one of the few rare examples of interplanetary governing bodies that exist in the known galaxy, others being the Confederation of the New Free Planets Alliance, the Great Houses of Xie, Supreme Interstellar Dominiorate of Paraguay and several others. In order to effectively govern and maintain peace between member states, UPEO has direct control over the following matters; the military, foreign relations and judicial. Other matters such as but not limited to; the health care and the economy are governed by member states individually. The UPEO government is primarily composed as follows; *Legislative: The House of Commitees, made up of the Security Commitee and Security Council, makes policies, declares war, approves treaties, has the power of the purse, and has the power of impeachment, by which it can remove sitting members of the government. The Security Council is comprised of civilian politicians from member states, observers and colonies. On the other hand the Security Committee is comprised completely of UNSC High Command members. *Executive: The supreme commander is the commander-in-chief of the military, can veto legislative bills before they become law, and appoints the members for the UNSC HIGHCOM (subject to Security Commitee approval) and other officers, who administer and enforce interplanetary laws and policies. *Judicial: The Office of Investigation and lower interplanetary courts, whose judges are appointed by the supreme commander with Security Commitee approval, interpret laws and overturn those they find unconstitutional. *Colonial: The Colonial Administration Authority is the primary governing body of all UPEO colonies. The primary role of the CAA is to act as a mediator between the UPEO and its colonies. The CAA also assists the UPEO in governing its colonies. The head of state of UPEO is known as the Supreme Commander (SC), serving alongside him is the Lieutenant Supreme Commander (Lt. SC). The SC and Lt. SC are elected by the House of Commitee members once every ten years with each SC and Lt. SC allowed to only serve two consecutive terms in the office. All of UPEOs' territory which belong to its' member states are entirely self governing, but as previously stated, matters involving the military, foreign relations and judicial are governed by the central UPEO government. House of Committee members are primarily composed of UPEO officers but some does include officers from the regional governments of the member states. Politics See main article; Universal Peace Enforcement Organization Charter Politics in UPEO is a complicated matter in itself, however it can be simplified in several ways. The UPEO is essentially a militarized version of the 'United Nations'. The main difference between the UN and the UPEO is that the UPEO has direct control over its member states whereas the UN does not. The UPEO possess its own military arm; the United Nations Space Command, Special Armed Response Force and the Colonial Military Administration. On the other hand the UN has to rely on military asssets donated by member states to do so. The purpose, role and functions of the UPEO is outlined in the UPEO charter. Over the course of the last millenia between 1850 BNE until the present day (13 NE), the charter has only been ammended six times. Political Divisions The UPEO is an inteplanetary peacekeeping and military organization comprised of ten member states from the planet Oberon. There are sixteen additional observer states who are granted a seat in the UPEO. The UPEO also governs twenty additional colonies spread throughout the Milky Way galaxy, including a colony on Earth. Member states Member states are sovereign nations who has joined the UPEO, they are the highest "rank" in the UPEO membershp hierarchy that a country can obtain. Member states who join the UPEO are granted full military protection, access to fellow member states technology and many other privelliges. Member states are free to pursue whatever course of action they deem fit in any area. The only exception applies in areas that include foreign policy, judicial matters and issues related to national security and defense. Member states are different than observers or colonies. As per the UPEO charter of 1850 BNE, member states who have joined the UPEO do not have the right to secede from the union. The 10 multinational unions of Oberon are as follows; *Kingdom of Typhon *Federal Republics of Eir *Muhr Union *Aschen Confederation *Tau'ri Republic *Empire of the Rising Sun *Pan Anea Coalition *Anean Union *Confederation of Calderis *Union of Recto Republics Observers Observers are sovereign countries who are not a part of the UPEO but they are granted a seat in the UPEO security counci. Unlike member states however, countries with an observer status do not receive the same priveliges as a full member state. Observer states are essentially candidates to become full member states however they are still in the transitional period. During this period as an observer, the country may observe how the UPEO works and may decide whether or not to decline a membership offer if offered by the House of Committees. Countries who are granted observer status are commonly those whose planets have to yet to be united under a single flag. Colonies A colony is the lowest "rank" in the membership hierarchy. As their name suggests, colonies are comunities established by UPEO member states. A colony has surprisingly more influence over the House of Committee than a country with an observer status. An example would be that a colony may voice their opinion or objection to the House of Committees while an observer country cannot. Colonies of the UPEO have a surprisingly large degree of autonomy. Colonies are governed by the Colonial Administration Authority and they maintain their own armed forces known as the Colonial Military Administration. UPEO currently governs two additional solar systems nearby the Laptev solar system. All colonies are placed under the jurisdiction of the Colonial Administration Authority granting colonies (limited) autonomy. Constitutionally once a colony reaches a certain stage of economic achievement they may have the right to secede from the union and be granted their independence. In practice however this is extremely difficult due to the fact that both the UNSC and the SARF maintains large presence throughout UPEO territories. All civilians born any world under UPEO jurisdiction is considered a citizen of UPEO. *Julius Solar System | Orbiting star: Julius | 4 light years away from Laptev **Colonized planets ***Madrigal ***Prosperity *Greeton Solar System | Orbiting star: Greater Greeton | 20 light years away from Laptev **Colonized planets ***Greeton ***Sanmite ***Tropica *Earth Solar System | Orbiting star: the Sun | 62,000 light years away from Laptev **Colonized planets ***New Canada, Earth *Work in progress... Foreign Relations The UPEO exercises global economic, military and political influences between its' member states. UPEO is a member of the Laptev Axis Faction, Galactic Alliance, Great Allied Nations alliance, Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), United Nations, Jedi Order alliance, Holy Empires Coalition, Asian Alliance, Coalition of Sovereign Nations and many other international organizations. UPEO maintains several embassies at other non-member states countries although these embassies are fairly limited due to the isolated location of UPEO itself. UPEOs' primary connection with Earth nations are located at UPEOs' Earth territory. The UPEO enjoys strong ties with the Royalist Kingdom, Middle Haven, Osean Federation, San Alejandro and many other allied nations. UPEO however does not exercise any influence of any form on non-member states due to the nature of UPEOs' objective and prefers to stay out of galactic affairs unless they are related to UPEO itself. UPEO however does participate in peacekeeping and diplomatic missions across the galaxy. Military UPEO has three military arms. The first one known as the 'United Nations Space Command' (UNSC) which serves as UPEO's primary military force. The second known as the 'Special Armed Response Force' (SARF) serves as an elite rapid response force in the event that the UNSC is unavailable to respond or that they have been defeated. The third military arm of the UPEO is known as the Colonial Military Administration. The CMA as its name suggests, is responsible for the terrestrial defense of all UPEO colonies. United Nations Space Command See Main Article: United Nations Space Command The United Nations Space Command is the UPEO's primary defense force, intended to protect member states, its' citizens, and colony worlds from attack by hostile nations, privateers, rebels and other unknown threats. It includes various special forces, and Militia organizations, but is mainly comprised of the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Army. The UNSC and SARF has a total of 9,068,064,454 personnel. The UNSC has pproximately 1,186,659,201 personnel in active duty, and the remaining 7,000,000,000 in reserves. Intelligence for the UNSCDF is given by the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), information about the ONI is currently classified. The commander-in-chi ef of the armed forces is the Supreme Commander, he/she appoints its's leaders, the Lieutenant Supreme Commander serving as his second in command and the High Command (HIGHCOM) members. The UNSC HIGHCOM is the highest operational command of the UNSC and is ultimately in charge of all personnel, equipment, and facilities used by the UNSC. Only a few senior and seasoned top-level brass from every branch of the UNSCare selected to become HIGHCOM members. With headquarters at the planets Oberon and Laptev, both have the largest presence of UNSC personnel from all branches, especially the Navy and Marine Corps due to the planets' strategic importance. Both planest are often referred to as 'fortress worlds'. Military service is compulsury. UPEO citizens are required to serve 5 years in the UNSC after completing their final year of high school (grade 12). Conscription is provided by law although it is only implemented during times of war. The UNSC being the primary military arm of UPEO and all of its' member states maintains bases at its' member states, by doing so the UNSC is able to respond quickly when war is declared. Additionally the UNSC has many facilities around orbit of planets that UPEO governs, or across the deep space that are under UPEO jurisdiction. Equipment for the UNSC is provided by two major domestic corporations known as General Resources Ltd, and Neucom Incorporated. Neucom Incorporated is primarily responsible for the development of the Air Forces' equipment, including the state-of-the-art advanced G/A-20 Rapier and various other aircrafts. While General Resources is responsible for developing equipment for the Marine Corps, Navy and Army. The UNSC also possesses nuclear weapons although these are rarely used, the UNSC is known to use mainly conventional weaponry against its' hostiles. The 'Orbital Defense Platform' is the UNSCs' most powerful non-nuclear weapon currently in service. Special Armed Response Force The Special Armed Response Force (SARF) is an elite rapid response force and serves as the rapid reaction force of the UPEO. While the UNSC answers to the Supreme Commander and the UNSC Security Council and Committee, the SARF answers only to the Supreme Commander and the UNSC HIGHCOM. The SARF is special independent branch from the UNSC, however it is still under the command of the UNSC HIGHCOM. Eliminating the need to answer to the Security Council and Security Committee, the SARF is often utilized for high-risk operations that needs to be executed within a relatively short period of time. Between 1850 BNE until 1496 BNE, the SARF served as the UPEO's primary military arm. However due to calls for a much larger military arm, the UNSC was created and the SARF became a branch under the UNSC. Nevertheless though the SARF is considered by many as one of the most prestigious branches of the UNSC that any military personnel can join. SARF personnel are selected by HIGHCOM members or by appointment of the Supreme Commander him/her self. The SARF is comprised of only two branches; the SARF Navy, and SARF Marine Corps. The reason why the SARF only has two branches is because by reducing the number of branches it is hoped that it would increase the SARF's reaction time to respond to incidents. Fewer personnel would mean that there rwould be fewer logistical concerns. The Marine Corps and Navy were specifically choosen due to the fact that both branches are inter-dependent and it effectively the cooperation and trust between the personnel of both branches. Colonial Military Administration The third and final military branch of the UPEO is known as the Colonial Military Adminsitration (CMA). As its name suggests, the role of the CMA is to provide defense to UPEO's colonies. While the UNSC maintains presence at every world that the UPEO governs, UNSC HIGHCOM members know well enough that maintaining personnel far and wide for extended periods of time would be expensive and would bring many logistical concerns. CMA personnel are recruited directly from UPEO colonies and they are stationed on their respective colonies. Another reason why the CMA was created was due to the increasing calls of a 'local militia' unit by the population of UPEO colonies. The CMA was founded in 1550 BNE after increasing demands for self governance caused many within the UPEO Security Council to agree to the demand of the colonies. As a compromise however for this increased autonomy, the CMA was restricted to only using certain equipment that is permitted by the central UPEO government. The restriction effectively puts the CMA on a technological disadvantage against the SARF, let alone the UNSC. Throughout its history, the CMA has been known to have supported several local rebellions, namely during the case of the Madrigal revolutionary war. In all of these rebellions though the CMA has been repeatedly defeated by either the UNSC or by the SARF. Due to these acts of treason by the local CMA garrison, the Security Committee has pressured the Security Council to decrease the role of the CMA. The present state of the CMA is a result of these rebellions. Economy The UPEO operates based on a capitalist-mixed economic structure, which is fueled by substantial amounts of abundant natural resources, a well developed infrastructure, strong market structure and high rate of productivity. Based on the Galactic Monetary Fund, UPEO's GDP which currently stands at $1,813,612,890,799,893, constitutes 1.5% of the entire galaxy. The UPEO's GDP is superceded by only the much more older inter-planetary governments in existence such as Paraguay, Xie and the NFPA. The UPEO is one of the galaxies largest importer and exporter of various products, primarily in military hardware and software. More than a dozen mega-corporation are from UPEO, these mega-corporations include Neucom Incorporated, General Resources Ltd, Weyland Yutani Corporation, Hargreave-Rasch Pharmacutical and Grunder Industries. All economic activity within the UPEO is monitored and administered by the Interstellar Commerce Commission (ICC). A sub-division of the ICC, known as the Department of Commercial Shipping (DCS) regulates transportation of all commercial goods. UPEO's trade partners are mainly with allied and friendly states such as; members of the Laptev Axis, Osea, Royalist Kingdom, Royalist Sarmenia, Connarland, San Alejandro and many other Earth-based nations. UPEO's economy is mainly self-sufficient due to the consumerism culture of UPEO citizens. Income and Human Development Official statistics from the Department of Income, as of 12 NE the average UPEO citizens receives $90,215 a year This is a significant improvement from 1690 when the average citizen (before the formation of the UPEO) of Oberon receives $18,371. Poverty rate declined sharply in the years following the formation of the UPEO as well from 10.1% in 1750, to only 0% by 1801. Science and Technology The UPEO has been one of t he leaders in technological development, application and scientfiic research since the early 18th century. One of the hallmarks of UPEO was the creation of the first ever domestic Shawfujikawa Trans-light engine or the Slipspace drive.. The Slipspace drive will later be invented as well by the nations of Earth during the first half of the of the 23rd century. The Slipspace drive is perhaps the most important scientific breakthrough by humanity as it allowed not only UPEO but also other nations in the Milkyway to travel and colonize deep space. Without the invention of the Slipspace drive, humanity would have most likely been restricted to their homeworlds and their solar system, unable to breakthrough their craddle. Unlike faster-than-light drives used by other nations the slipspace drive creates holes or ruptures between normal space and an alternate plane known as slipspace. It basically provides a shortcut that allows vessels to travel the bast distances between star systems by half the time. The Universal Science & Technology Administration (USTA) is the government organization responsibile for pioneering space exploration and technological advancements in the UPEO. Some of the hallmarks of the USTA was the Shawfujikawa Slipspace Drive and the COFFIN system. Transportation The most common type of personal transportation used by citizens of the UPEO is the automobile. Approximately 30% of all personal automobiles are SUVs' or Sedans. The average UPEO adult spends more or less 30 minutes on the road every day traveling 9km. The low average for distance traveled and time spent on the road in front of the wheel of an automobile is due to the fact that the UPEO employs a very effective system of public transportation such as metros, trains, maglevs, monorails, buses and trams. The civil atmospheri c and interstellar airline industries are mostly privately owned although the flag-carrier (and also the largest carrier) of UPEO; 'Universal Airways' is state-owned. Both airports and spaceports are all state-owned to ensure efficiency. The use of railways is primarily used for transporting raw materials planet-side, while the transportation of raw materials through space is mostly used by private Freighters employed or those owned by the DCS. Very few people these days travel by rail due to the presence of alternative public transportation. Energy As of 2010, UPEO's combined energy consumption from all of the world governed; Oberon, Laptev and Earth is 837 exajoules per year. Approximately 60% of all of this energy originates from the use of renewable energy sources mainly hydropower, 35% from nuclear power and the remainder is fron natural gas. The use of fossil fuel has been rendered obsolute due to the dire consequences during 'The Flood' where one of the causes of it was due to excess use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Demographics According to official statistics from UPEO's department of demgraphics reports that there is exactly 18,263,463,304 registered people living at UPEO territories. This also includes and estimate of 842,953 illegal immigrants who have somehow managed to evade UPEO's secure immigration network. UPEO is the 195th most populous nation in the Milky-Way galaxy. UPEO's population is currently projected to continue to rise over the next three centuries as birth rates are on the rise and the percentage of infant mortality decreasing due to advances in medical sciences. In 9 NE more than 9,013,574 immigrants were granted legal residence in UPEO where all of them went through a process of naturalization. The leading source sof immigrants, both legal and illegal into UPEO are primarily from Earth-based nations seeking a 'fresh-start' in life. With more than 12,51 0 ethnic groups, UPEO has a very high population diversity. One of the alrgest in the galaxy as well. There are 2 major racial groups in UPEO; caucasian and african-american. Comprised of 65% of the population, caucasian humans are the majority racial group residing in UPEO while 31% of the population are African-Americans. The remaining 4% are made of the various other racial groups mainly those of Asian descendant. The list below displays the 5 known types of races within UPEO; Approximately 55% of UPEO citizens live at major urban centers, and about a third of them live in cities with populations over 500,000. Another 27% live at colonies in space (such as the Freedom Colony) with the remaining 18% living at off-world colonies (such as those on UPEO's Earth territory- New Canada). There are currently more than 7,061 Alpha-class Global Cities on Oberon alone. Language English is the de-facto national language of UPEO as it is the universal language understood by humanity at large throughout both Oberon and the rest of the galaxy although other civilizations may have different names for it. For one to complete the process of naturalization, one must be fluent in speaking English. The importance of English is because there are more than 1,000 ethnic groups on Oberon alone, there are hundreds and thousands more regional native languages. English provides a standardized form of communication that can be understood by everyone at any time. The second most spoken language in UPEO is Mandarin followed by Bahasa Indonesia and Spanish. The reason being is because UPEO's ancestors also originate from regions of Earth where those languages were spoken. Native languages that are spoken at specific local areas include Cantoneese, Sundaneese, Javaneese, Native-Hawaiaan and in very rare cases Latin. Religion Although there is no official state religion more than 45% of UPEO citizens are Roman-Catholics and the churches of UPEO maintains close ties with the Vatican back on Earth. This is folllowed by Islam which is worshipped by approximately 22% of the population, then Christianity at 10%, Budhism at 7% and Atheism (non-worshippers) at 16% Citizens are granted the right to choose (or not choose) any religion they wish to commit themselves to. Education The UPEO education s ystem is designed and regulated by the UPEO Department of Education. Application of this system is done by both the state and regional governments. Most children (depending on their region) are required to attend school from the age of 7 (Kindygarten) until they are 18 (Year 12). Furthermore the state maintains a standard that all high-school graduates are to then obtain a 'Bachelors-Degree' from a university of their choice. The UPEO has many competative instutions of higher education (both public and private) as well as regional community colleges. Of the 94% of 18-year old adolescents who graduate from high school, 91.5% of them go on to continue in a higher-education institution. From there on, 18% of them go to college, 61% of them obtains a bachelor degree, and 14.5% of them obtains a graduate degree. UPEO has a 100% literacy rate. Health The average life expectancy of a UPEO citizen is 81.5 years. Over the last five decades UPEO's life expectancy has been dropping due to the number of rising infectious diseases. These diseases range from simple flu, to the more deadly mutations of cancer. Recently there has been a rise in the number of obsese people which has led many doctors to become concerned that these numbers may rise exponentially within the next several years. Cases of adolescent pr egnancy are rare. Only 5 out of 1,000 adolescent females are more likely to become pregnant before they reach their adult years. Abortion is illegal in UPEO, however this restriction may be removed based on 'medical reasons that threaten the life of the mother in question'. Even then, those who do so must have the approval of a doctor designated by government officials. The government has spent large amounts of money, investing in medical sciences since 1959AD. These investments brought many medical advancements such as 'flash cloning' procedures which allows certain human organs to be cloned and transplanted to a person in need based on their genetic codes, eliminating the risk of the body rejecting the organ and therefore eliminating the need for organ donors. Healthcare is free in the UPEO as all costs are burdened by the government. Citizens receive free healthcare at government run hospitals which accounts for 69% of all of the hospitals present on Oberon, Laptev and New Canada (Earth territory). Law Enforcement Responsibility of law enforcement is usually delegated to each regions, cities, village etc local police forces. Petty crimes such as assault, battery and thievery are usually handled by local police departments. More serious crimes such as murder and kidnapping are usually transferred to be handled by local 'Troopers'. Crimes that are greater than those, are usually handled by one of the major law enforcement agencies that UPEO maintains; the 'Special Tactics And Rescue Squad' (STARS). Due to the large population of UPEO, it was necessary for the government to establish a system that will help law enforcement units in maintaining law and order. This system is a series of cameras recording everyday activity and sound at strategically placed locations where crimes are likely to happen, live-on-demand police satellite feed that can focus at certain locations. The ability to track individual citizens via ID chips surgicially implanted inside every registered civilians lower skull, and many other systems. Local Police Department They are the local police units stationed at every major urban center, city, town, village, borders etc. They are the first to respond to the scene of the crime. Police officers are usually only lightly armed with the option of adding body-armor for regular patrol and their standard-issue M6B handgun. Police departments are also equipped with an assortment of ground, aerial and water vehicles. If necessary they will use heavier firearms such as the M7 SMG and the M90 CAWS Mark 1 shotgun. Police officers can be found patroling mainly public areas such as school grounds, shopping centers, theme parks, subway etc. Troopers Troopers are essentially veteran police officers who has gained enough experience to enlist as a 'trooper' within their police department. The role of the trooper is to assist police officers in maintaining law and order. Other than handling petty crimes, Troopers patrol more important locations such as regional borders, spacesports, governmenment buildings etc. They are issued the same weaponry as those used by police officers. One way to distinguish between Troopers and Police Officers is by the uniform they wear. Furthermore, while the jurisdiction of local police department is restricted to their region, a Troopers jurisdiction is not. They are able to continue persuing a criminal through multiple regions without the need for authorization from the other police department. Special Tactics And Rescue Squad When it comes to taking down kidnappers, hostage rescue, bomb disposal etc, STARS is the best they can get. Members of STARS are comprised of ex-military men/women, selected police officers and troopers who are able to distinguish themselves from their colleagues, and civilian scientists. The idea behind STARS is to form a specialized group that will be able to deal with any situation, hence the grunt-scientist-like mix. Culture With more than 3,000 ethnic groups, each with their own unique traditions, cuisine, music etc, essentially each ethnic group has deveoped their own cultural identities. Over the centuries, since humans from Oberon were taken from Earth, there are some similarities between the culture of Earthlings and Oberon-born Humans. Some of the most commonly found cultural icons in UPEO is the traditional 'Tari Ayu' which bares similarities with traditional dances from Java, Earth. Sports in UPEO is usually played by both male and female with several competitions having male and female teams pitted against each other. Gender equality has been more or less reached as people eventually learn to accept that both male and female are equal. Of the 100 people who were inducted into the 'Sports Hall-of-Fame, 56 of them are females.' Of the 78 Supreme Commanders elected by HIGHCOM since UPEOs' formation, 37 of them were females. Cuisine in UPEO varies by region as each region has their own unique foods and drinks. However, several dishes can be considered as the 'unofficial national dish of UPEO'. These include the 'Nasi Goreng' (Fried Rice), 'Bubur Ayam' (Chicken Porridge), Apple Pie, and the Soto Ayam. Rice is the main staple food of the eastern continents of Oberon while Potatoes is the main staple food of the western continents of Oberon. Category:Universal Peace Enforcement Organization